


Lessons From the Ground Floor

by Luvless34



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020), Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:00:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24023968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luvless34/pseuds/Luvless34
Summary: Cloud Strife is new to the Slums of Sector 7. He's been depending on his childhood friend Tifa Lockhart to get himself all squared away and to learn the lessons of living life on the ground floor.But what happens when Tifa asks Cloud to celebrate their reunion? He's going to need a little help from the landlady who's watching his every move.
Relationships: Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife
Comments: 8
Kudos: 100





	Lessons From the Ground Floor

**Author's Note:**

> If Cloud and Tifa were able to go on their date from FFVII Remake, this is how I’d imagine it’d go. Though, I took some liberties in changing the description of Tifa’s dress. I really wanted to make it special and more formal than what she had. I was inspired by a fan-art of it, but I can’t recall where it went…I felt that it would’ve been something equivalent to Aerith’s red dress in length and formality, but it just fit so well.  
> This one-shot is a little long, but I like it that way. Enjoy.

Cloud Strife felt himself grow a little anxious about what he was planning to do within the next hour.

His childhood best friend from his small mountain village in Nibelheim had asked him out on a date. Well, at least, he interpreted it as such. Tifa asked him to pick an outfit that would match or coordinate with hers, and he had promised that he would look for one.

_“You know what, we should totally celebrate. Let’s get dressed up and hit the town!”_

_“Really?” Cloud asked._

_“I mean, why not? It’ll be fun,” Tifa answered back with her arms gently crossed._

_“Do you even have fancy clothes?”_

_“Nothing **fancy** , fancy, but I’ll figure something out,” Tifa said happily. “What do you think will suit me, huh?”_

_Cloud looked her up and down. He started blushing a little at the thought._

_“Something, refined,” Cloud finally answered._

_“Yeah, I guess we’re not little kids anymore,” Tifa said with an embarrassed smile. “Be sure to pick out an outfit that goes with mine. OK?”_

_“Will do.”_

_“This’ll be so much fun, you’ll see,” Tifa said with a bright smile._

_“Yeah, maybe.” Cloud replied, returning a small smile of his own._

* * *

The merc then frowned. He didn’t exactly have a wide assortment of options available to him. He only had this one SOLDIER’s uniform, and it wasn’t the classiest outfit for a night on the town that Tifa probably wanted or envisioned for two long-lost friends.

Cloud groaned in frustration and ruffled his blonde spikes. What colors did Tifa want to wear with him? What were her favorite colors again? Did he even know? How formal did they plan on going for this outing?

That’s when the merc decided to get some advice from the one person who probably had a thing or two to say about this budding dynamic between himself and the bar manager…

“So, you decided you needed MY help? What took you so long?”

Cloud rolled his eyes. He was standing in the doorway of Marle’s apartment at Stargazer Heights. She was their landlady who viewed Tifa as a granddaughter she never had. But, for whatever reason, always had a sore spot with Cloud, not that Cloud really gave her any good reason to be nicer to him.

_Earlier that afternoon, Cloud and Tifa had returned from their rounds of collecting money for water filters from the people in the slums. They made their way back to Stargazer Heights where Marle was socializing on the ground floor with those who passed by._

_“Hey Marle, we’re back.”_

_“Wow, that was fast,” Marle said, impressed. “Would you mind changing out your filters for me? I left them in your rooms.”_

_“Sure thing,” Tifa said before heading up the stairs leading to their apartments on the second floor. Cloud was about to follow when Marle suddenly held him up._

_“Not so fast, merc,” Marle growled. Cloud felt slightly intimidated by Marle, but he knew he had to be nice. Tifa had asked him to be for the woman who helped his friend get set up back in the day about five years ago._

_“Tifa needs a friend, a REAL friend.”_

_The merc looked down at his hand, clenching it into a fist. He felt embarrassed by the direction the conversation was going with his landlady._

_“We’re already friends…” He muttered._

_“Oh really?” Marle responded, bringing her eyebrows together. “Do you really listen to her? Caring about her and her feelings? She needs someone to be there for her when the times get tough. Off you go.”_

“Will you help me or not?” Cloud asked a bit roughly. He then slowed himself down. “Please?”

“Alright, seeing as Tifa thinks you’re something special,” Marle scoffed. She looked him up and down. “Is this what you’re wearing on your date with her?”

“Uh…don’t really have another option.”

“Oh boy,” Marle said rolling her eyes. She clicked her tongue and then proceeded to shut the apartment door behind her, stepping out fully into the sunlight. “OK, well she’s gone for the next couple of hours I know. She won’t be back until 6 to get herself ready for the night. So, you’ll be going topside with me.”

“What?”

“Topside, SOLDIER boy,” Marle said with a bit of sarcasm and wit. “Unless you want Tifa to see you as more than just the neighbor, then I suggest you follow my lead. We’re headed topside.”

Marle then looked at Cloud again, another smirk creeping onto her face.

“When we get back, I think you should get some more sleep. You’re still looking rather glum.”  
  


* * *

It wasn’t like any shopping trip Cloud had been on before, and to be honest, he hadn’t been shopping like this. At least for something this important.

Most people who watched them with curiosity probably saw them as a grandmother with her young adult grandson. Marle had a smug expression on her face, while Cloud looked glum as the scene outside of the train blurred together in a soundless whirlwind.

“Did Tifa mention where you were going?” Marle asked.

“No. Just hitting the town and that to dress up in something that goes with her outfit.”

“Well, you’ll want to match her,” she said a little more kindly than her usual sassiness. “Luckily, I still have connections topside where my friend can do wonders on your…style.”

Cloud rolled his eyes and continued to watch the scenery rush past him. He wasn’t sure exactly why he was worried this much over getting dressed up for this outing with Tifa. It was true that they hadn’t seen each other in five years, but they were only 16 and 15. Now at 21 and 20, they weren’t little teens anymore.

He thought about the short amount of time they spent together and wondered what this outing would mean for the two of them. They were already friends, as he had pointed out to Marle earlier that afternoon, but the landlady did have a point. Cloud needed to be a “real friend” to Tifa and be able to show her that he gives a damn about her feelings.

The train eventually arrived into the Sector 7 station above ground and flocks of people began to hop off onto the platform. Cloud followed Marle as they embarked on their shopping trip through the brick paved streets. The ex-SOLDIER couldn’t help but notice the stark differences in the societies above and below ground.

These people were fancy, clean and looked to be “important” with their suits, watches and briefcases. The children even had designer clothes and appeared to be a little “smug.” Cloud wasn’t sure why Tifa would want to go above ground, but then softened at the expression of some of the couples holding hands down the streets, one woman even held a yellow flower in her hand.

 _Kind of like the flower I got from that girl a couple nights ago…_ Cloud thought. He remembered how pleased Tifa was by the unexpected gift, but he had no use for it and she did seem keen on the bloom that was inserted underneath one of his armor straps.

Cloud looked around to see if the flower girl was around again. Maybe, he could purchase one for real this time and assemble a bouquet for Tifa. But, he didn’t have that much time to walk around the sector to look for her. Besides, he wasn’t even sure that the flower girl would be in Sector 7 today.

_The streets were chaotic in Sector 8. People were screaming and running up and down the walkways, crying out over the bombing of the reactor. Cars were covered in dust from the explosion, and some folks were knocking down each other in attempts to get themselves to safety._

_Cloud was dazed at the confusion and the craziness. He didn’t expect the explosion to be THAT strong, and neither did other members of Avalanche. They all were keen to escape from the hectic scene and promised to regroup on the train heading back down toward Sector 7 and into the slums._

_While looking around, he noticed a girl in pink with a basket of flowers. Her long brown hair was tied up into a plait with a distinctive pink ribbon. Her emerald green eyes scanned the scenery, as if wanting to ask what happened above at the reactor, but people were being their usual selfish selves and proceeded to respond rudely to her._

_Cloud felt bad, but he didn’t really want to engage. He had to find the train platform so he could meet up with the rest of the group and get back to Seventh Heaven…that’s where Tifa was waiting for them._

_He blushed a little at the thought. He never expected to reunite with his childhood best friend in a place like this, let alone being a part of the eco-terrorist group Avalanche. Cloud never imagined Tifa would go down that route, but then again, it’s been five years and he wasn’t sure that she was the same girl from his small mountain village of Nibelheim._

_Suddenly, the flower girl started screaming. Cloud saw her spinning about, swatting at invisible beings that clearly weren’t there. He wondered if she was crazy, but then decided to intervene and see if she needed some help. Obviously…he was an ex-SOLDIER. He’s there to help._

_Just as Cloud was about to take another step, he experienced excruciating pain in his temple that caused him to keel over and stop walking. The world was spinning, and his breath grew short. There were flashes of fire, smoke and faint screams that filled the back of his mind._

_For a moment, he could smell burning wood, smoke and even the smell of fresh blood that pooled onto the ground like endless rivers of death. There in the distance, he envisioned a long silver-haired man with menacing steel blue eyes with an evil grin. There was no remorse…none whatsoever._

_“Hey, are you OK?”_

_Cloud had recovered enough to notice that the flower girl’s face appeared in front of his. Her eyes were concerned, but she appeared to be mostly interested in his answer._

_“I’m fine,” Cloud said, trying to shrug off his condition. He continued to walk forward before his path was cut off by the flower girl. He stopped and she reached into her flower basket, pulling out a single stem with a yellow lily blossom._

_“Here, this is for you.”_

_“A flower?”_

_“It’s a thank you for scaring those things away,” the flower girl responded with a gentle smile. Her eyes were glistening in a small way that caught Cloud off guard by how hopeful they seemed._

_“What things?” He asked confused._

_“Uh, never mind,” she responded quickly, disregarding what she had just mentioned. “Think of it as a memento.”_

_Cloud turned at the sound of a faint train whistle. He groaned. “Just my luck,” he whispered furiously under his breath._

_The flower girl took a step forward with a frown. “I heard that, you know.”_

_Cloud looked down at the flower. They don’t see a lot of flowers around Midgar, given that the mako getting harvested through the reactors to create electricity and power for the city comes straight from the planet itself. It’s hard to find any plants growing in town, let alone luxury items like flowers._

_Still, the flower girl did take it upon herself to check on him. It was the least he could do._

_“How much?” He asked slowly._

_The flower girl observed the flower._

_“Depends on the customer…” She said. Then, she looked at Cloud. “And in your case…it’s on the house.”_

_The flower girl walked toward him, causing Cloud to falter a little bit when she gently inserted the flower’s stem underneath his strap._

_“Lovers used to give these when they were reunited.”_

* * *

“Hey merc, we’re here.”

Cloud shook his head out of his daydream and found that he and Marle had arrived in front of a small boutique with a display of suits in varying colors on mannequins. He groaned. Cloud wasn’t a suits kind of guy, and he preferred to be comfortable as much as possible and being outside. The idea of suits just sounded…constricting.

“Are you serious, Marle?”

“Are you serious about taking a night out with Tifa?” Marle responded coolly. That’s when Cloud knew she made a point. Tifa was going to great lengths trying to make this outing as special as possible. The last thing he wanted to do was ruin the night for her.

He sighed.

“Fine. Lead on.”

Marle seemed satisfied and opened the shop door, causing the bell to chime as they both sauntered into the establishment. A tailor stood by stocking inventory on the shelves when he turned and noticed Marle and Cloud standing in the doorway.

He at first seemed annoyed, but then his expression changed suddenly at the sight of Marle. The tailor stood up, walked over and took her hands in his.

“Marle!”

“Brant,” Marle said with a mischievous look in her eye. “You haven’t changed a bit since you’ve moved up from the ground floor.”

“I do try to hold onto your lessons, Marle,” the tailor said with a smile. Cloud observed the shopkeeper and noticed that he was around his age, probably a couple years his senior. He had a good-natured face with his black hair slicked back in a styled way, and he appeared to be rather slim.

“And I see you have another student with you,” Brant said with a grin. He looked at Cloud up and down. “Let me guess, he’s one of your tenants?”

“I’m having him stay at Stargazer Heights as a favor to Tifa, you remember my girl?” She said. Brant smiled even more widely, which caused something to stir hotly in Cloud’s chest.

“Oh Tifa! How is she? I haven’t seen her since I moved.”

“She’s doing well, the bar’s hopping with business,” Marle said. She then turned to Cloud. “This glum looking fellow has a date with her this evening, and he doesn’t even own a suit.”

Brant grinned even more, causing Cloud to grimace. _Why do these people smile so much?_

“Ah, I see,” the man said pulling out his measuring tape. Cloud almost instinctively reached for the handle of his Buster Sword at the immediate movement, but then was put at ease when Brant started measuring his shoulders, legs and weirdly, underneath his nose. “Not bad of a fit.”

“Listen Brant, this young man hasn’t got much to offer,” Marle said in a biting tone. “He has a huge sword, but no charm or wit. Maybe, he’s got some skills.”

“I got skills,” Cloud retorted. He remembered a similar conversation that took place that morning, and he then smirked. Tifa really was being cared for by Marle, and he couldn’t help but slowly warm up to the old lady.

“Sure, you do,” Marle responded. She then walked around the shop and picked out several different outfits for Cloud to try. “But until they actually show up, your looks aren’t too bad, so we’ll have to work with what we got.”

“That’s possibly the nicest thing you’ve said to me all day,” Cloud said.

“Don’t get soft on me,” Marle said, waving him off as Brant pointed the ex-SOLDIER to the back to change and try on the different outfits. Cloud rolled his eyes, took a small pile of selected items and headed off to the back, feeling slightly annoyed.

There were interesting options: A dark navy suit with a plain vest and white dress shirt with dark brown oxfords; A formal black suit that reminded Cloud too much of a wedding tuxedo; And a simple blue dress shirt with navy blue pants and dark brown dress shoes.

“What do you think?” Marle asked Cloud, who tried to be polite. He figured the sooner he gets out of here, the sooner he would be able to avoid the barrage of dress pins that were poking him.

“It’s OK.”

“Well, from what Tifa told me, her dress is very nice,” Marle said. “So, I think the suit would be the best choice.”

She eyed Cloud as if daring him to say otherwise, and when she did not hear opposition coming from him, she cracked a rare smile with him.

“We’ll take it,” she said, while Brant handed Cloud the price tag. He winced. The suit was already taking up half of the paycheck that he got from helping with the first bombing mission. Not really a lot to put away after…then Cloud shook his head.

_Well…Tifa wanted to go out, and it’s not like she forced me to get something new._

Cloud and Marle walked out of the tailors with Cloud’s new outfit in hand. He was wondering if there was anything else he should do to prepare for the outing when Marle clapped her hands together.

“Now, merc, we need to talk about the lessons from the ground floor,” she began.

“Not this again.”

“I’m gonna pretend I didn’t hear that,” Marle responded while rolling her eyes. Her gray hair stuck up on edge more than usual. “Now, Tifa is a sweet girl who has had her fair share of heartbreak.”

Suddenly, Cloud grew keen. He never really heard about Tifa’s past love interests and was wondering how much Marle knew about the other suitors who were lining up trying to be with his friend.

“Relax, merc,” Marle said with an amused look. “She hasn’t been on a date since she got to Midgar five years ago. She was a tiny little thing. So scared…she told me what happened to her in that hometown of yours, and let’s just say she’s been a bit gun-shy about meeting anyone. Letting people in close...let alone getting intimate with them."

Cloud didn’t say anything to Marle as she continued describing the basics of a good date. Be nice. Complimentary. He took a look at the wall and noted that time was slipping past them. They thanked Brant, and the two returned to the train, where Marle cast him a dark look. 

"Listen here, one wrong move and you hurt Tifa..."

"I don't want to hurt her," Cloud said earnestly. "I honestly don't want to do anything like that."

His earnestness must've relieved Marle, because she then smiled a genuine smile.

* * *

Cloud looked at himself once-over in his apartment mirror. In the stark lighting even, Cloud couldn’t help but look at himself in a new light.

He was not 16 anymore, and he was now a young man. His mako-blue eyes glinted in the fluorescent lighting of his apartment and noticed how harsh they appeared. Cloud could see where Tifa might fear how his eyes looked now as opposed to when he was younger.

“Sorry, Tifa,” he muttered to himself. The dark navy suit made him look so formal, and that was not his style. Cloud untied the tie that closed the collar of the white dress shirt, and then looked at himself. Maybe the jacket was too much?

He debated for several minutes before deciding to nix the tie and just go with the dress shirt, pants with matching vest, leaving the collar unbuttoned. He felt more at ease with himself and thought it was best to look the way he normally does and so Tifa wouldn’t get the idea he was struggling with his appearance for their date.

Cloud looked at the crescent moon charm that Marle had given him earlier and decided that he would give it to Tifa as a present. Maybe she would find a better use for it than he ever could. He looked up at the wall clock and decided to head on over to Tifa’s apartment. It was ticking closer to 7, and that is when they had agreed to head topside.

He silently closed and locked the apartment door behind him. Cloud felt weird not carrying his sword on his back, but he figured that this was not a type of battle he would need to carry weapons for. Suddenly, he felt himself get nervous and started debating whether he read the signs wrong.

 _What if I’m the one that’s overly dressed?_ He panicked. _Gaia, this would be like me to just overthink the situation._

Cloud felt himself soften. What did it matter? Tifa had asked him out. That was fact. If anything, he should focus on the night itself. They were celebrating their reunion after five years of being apart. He really should calm down and not try to think much about it.

He parked himself right outside of Tifa’s unit and gently knocked on the door.

“Just a minute,” a feminine voice answered.

Cloud held his breath. It was too late to back out now.

Suddenly, the door opened and Cloud turned to face Tifa, and felt his heart starting to beat rapidly out of his chest at the sight in front of him.

There was Tifa, a vision in a beautiful evening dress that mirrored the night sky that they had made a childhood promise under so many years ago as children. She had done her hair differently, letting it cascade over her shoulders in loose waves and one side held up with miniature star hair pins that sparkled. The dark hair glowed almost from the ethereal light that the pins gave off.

The dress was long but was short in the front and ruffled ever slightly toward the ground. Her neckline was a deep, but a mesh-like fabric faded from nude to white to dark blue. Tifa’s ruby-red eyes glittered with excitement, and her make-up, though a little smokier than usual, fit perfectly with her outfit.

Her shoes were nude colored with straps that tied up into bows around her ankles with high-heeled points. Without even telling Cloud, Tifa managed to match his outfit in the colors that Marle had suggested for him earlier that day. To which, he silently thanked the landlady for taking the lead.

Cloud drank in the sight of her, breathing in the scent of fresh rain and gardenias blossoming from her. He wasn’t sure if there were any words he could say that would adequately describe how he thought about her appearance. She was almost like a Moonlight Princess, and the stars were her court.

“Hi,” Tifa said with a smile.

“Um…hi,” Cloud said stupidly. He looked at her and found it in himself to pull out a dark blue box that contained the crescent moon charm and handed it to Tifa. She looked puzzled, opened it and blushed red at the earring that Cloud had managed to create from it.

“Oh! This is beautiful, Cloud,” Tifa said with a warm smile. She silently held it up to her ear and clicked it into place. “I knew I was missing something. This does the trick!”

 _Well, at least she likes it,_ Cloud thought to himself. He then remembered Marle’s advice about complimenting Tifa’s look and he started blushing.

“Y-you, look beautiful,” Cloud said. His face turned a bright red. “I feel underdressed.”

“Thank you, Cloud,” Tifa replied, blushing in response. “My friend from down the way had a dress she never wore, and so let me borrow it. I figured a night like this deserved a lot more effort.”

She looked appreciatively at Cloud and seemed to admire his outfit too.

“You clean up really nicely,” she teased softly. “I didn’t think you had an outfit in your closet.”

“I had some help,” Cloud responded. “So, what did you want to do?”

“Let’s catch the train, first, and then I’ll fill you in,” Tifa said. “I think there’s something topside that I really wanted to show you that I think you might like.”

Cloud offered a helping hand to Tifa who gladly accepted it and they headed down the stairs. Marle, who was sitting on a lounger, stood up when seeing the young couple.

“Well, well, don’t you two look mighty chipper,” Marle said, causing Tifa to blush with a smile and Cloud trying not to show his amusement either. “Your eyes are shining, my girl.”

“We’re gonna head out, Marle,” Tifa said with a soft smile. “I think it’s time we headed topside and check out a few things that Cloud might not have had the chance to see. Be back in a while.”

“Take your time,” Marle said. She then cast a favorable look at Cloud. “Be good to her.”

* * *

It was a leisurely evening topside. Cloud and Tifa walked down the street next to each other in a comfortable silence. They had chattered away and had some silly conversations that spiced up the moments of quiet in between the two of them when riding the rail.

Now, they were left wandering the streets when a lot of young couples were out venturing into the night. String lights glittered like fireflies around them. There was a fountain nearby with water catching itself into a dragon’s mouth. Lamp lights were turning on, casting a warm path onto the cold concrete roads.

Cars were lined up and down the sides, meaning that there was no shortage of entertainment that evening and everyone was taking advantage.

Cloud couldn’t help but notice how all the couples were holding hands. _Did Tifa want me to—_

Tifa was also observing the couples but didn’t seem bothered by the sight. She looked curiously at them, but then smiled and continued walking forward with Cloud. They were getting themselves re-acquainted with each other, and she appeared not to want to rush anything with romance.

To which, Cloud felt himself relax. He was finally getting to know Tifa as a young woman and not just as a childhood friend from his hometown. He always felt himself gravitate toward his friend, but there were moments he couldn’t remember if they had spent that much time together outside of their social groups.

He didn’t really remember too much from those days…

“Hey, Cloud?”

“Yeah?”

“You want to grab something to eat?”

They had stopped outside of a small restaurant that seemed quiet. Nothing too fancy, but Cloud agreed to supper. The two sat outside on the patio seating and took in the sights and sounds of the night life. The waiter poured them some ice water into crystal glasses and then served some chilled Cosmo Canyons into a glass.

Cloud couldn’t help but think the red drink matched the colors of Tifa’s eyes. She found him staring at her, and blushed a faint pink before flipping through the menu.

“What’s good here?” Cloud asked.

“I think, the pasta,” Tifa said with a grin. “I came here with Avalanche several years ago and it was delicious. But, haven’t been here as of late. Not with Seventh Heaven and all.”

Cloud frowned. Tifa didn’t really take a lot of breaks and she probably worked herself to the ground quite a bit. He hoped that she took some time for herself. It was as if Tifa was reading Cloud’s mind and smiled at him.

“Don’t worry, I’m not fragile,” she said with a slight giggle. “Marle would have my head if she thinks I’m not getting enough sleep. Plus, I enjoy working at the bar. It keeps my mind off other things.”

Tifa’s eyes suddenly glazed over, as if she was remembering something from the past. It held a depth of pain, and Cloud knew she was remembering their childhood home burning to the ground because of a former war hero that her friend had hero-worshipped in the past.

Cloud didn’t know what compelled him, but he reached over and gently laid a comforting hand on top of Tifa’s small one that was on the table. She broke out of her thoughts and saw Cloud’s hand resting on top of hers. She blushed pink again and withdrew them quickly.

“Sorry about that,” she muttered and quickly ducked back behind her menu, trying to hide an embarrassed smile.

“Hey, Tifa,” Cloud started to say. “After I left Nibelheim--.”

“Are you two ready to order?” A waiter interrupted.

Cloud groaned silently to himself at the missed opportunity. Tifa didn’t seem to notice this and nodded at the waiter’s request. She ordered the pasta with salad, while Cloud ordered a small steak for himself with a side of roasted vegetables.

It was all delicious, but Cloud felt himself wonder about Tifa’s mindset and her thoughts about where she wanted to see their friendship go from here. He had said multiple times about leaving Midgar once their mission was complete and that they didn’t need his mercenary services anymore.

But, it was clear that Tifa wanted him to stay and some part of Cloud yearned to be near her again and not leave like he had originally planned. He forgot initially, why he had come to Midgar in the first place. He didn’t really remember why he was supposed to be here.

He looked into Tifa’s red eyes as she talked about what she had been up to during the time they had been apart: She was injured and woke up in a clinic five years ago. She couldn’t remember a lot of things but knew that Nibelheim was destroyed and that her father had been murdered.

Tifa silently tried to hold back the tears at the thought. Cloud was silent through all of this. He remembered the pain too and the heat rising from the ashes of his childhood home. His mother had been slaughtered too, underneath the unforgiving blade of his former boyhood hero.

“Sorry to go into all of this, Cloud,” Tifa said wiping the tears from her eyes. “I didn’t want to bring up bad memories for the both of us.”

“It’s fine, Tifa,” Cloud responded. “I think we should try to move on too.”

They both nodded in agreeance and continued chatting about other things that weren’t so heavy. They talked about their aspirations for the future: Tifa wanted to build onto Seventh Heaven and maybe open a second bar in the future, this time on the plate. Cloud thought about expanding on his services throughout the other sectors.

This type of small talk left them feeling full. For years they hadn’t been able to share their feelings or memories about their past with anyone who could understand like they could with each other. It was something special, Cloud knew, that couldn’t be replicated.

Once the bill arrived, Cloud paid for their meals and the two walked down the streets again. They took a stroll and observed some of the entertainers who were busy trying to impress crowds of people who were out on their nightly adventures. Cloud and Tifa watched a chalk artist draw an impressive panorama of the galaxies onto the sidewalk.

Cloud and Tifa took in a late-night film at a small theater and watched as the hero rescued a damsel from a fire-breathing dragon. The two laughed at the low-quality theatrics and walked out munching on leftover popcorn from their buckets.  
  
At some point during the night, Cloud and Tifa approached a square where musicians were playing on guitars and singing into mics. It looked as if it was a wedding, and the bride and groom were slowly dancing their first time together as husband and wife.

The two silently watched and saw how the crowd seemed pleased as punch at the sight. Tifa looked over at Cloud and felt a slight smile curl at the ends of her lips.

“You don’t dance, Cloud?” Tifa said, gently poking fun at his expense.

He cringed. “Nope. Never.”

“I don’t know, I think you’d be good at it,” Tifa said. “With your sword moves and all, you seem to have a rhythm.”

“I’m really…really not a dancer,” Cloud said laughing nervously. “To be honest, I don’t think there will ever be a chance in hell you’d catch me dancing.”

They both laughed at the thought and finished watching the couple dance and continued to make their way through town. They found their way to a quiet park nearby and took a rest underneath a gazebo made from stone. Cloud looked around them. It seemed wrong that a park would have no grass or trees, or even any flowers growing from the ground. It was a stark difference from their young lives in Nibelheim, where the wilderness wasn’t confined in a concrete prison.

“This wasn’t exactly where I thought I’d find you,” Cloud said to himself more than to Tifa, who watched him from across the way. “I never thought you’d be here in Midgar.”

“I didn’t think so either,” Tifa said, shaking her dark head. “I’m not much of a city girl. My heart belongs to the mountains. You know that.”

The two laughed pitifully at their lost childhood and continued to sit in silence. There was a lot that was left unsaid between the two of them and a lot that Cloud wished he could bring up with Tifa, but that’d be too much for their first outing together.

“Do you feel upset about not being a part of the mission tomorrow?” Tifa asked Cloud, casting a worried look at him. “I’m sorry about before.”

Cloud shook his head. “Like I said, this is how I prefer it. No contracts, no obligation.”

Tifa nodded and then kept her eyes on him. “You’ve changed a lot since we were kids.”

“How so?”

“Well…you have this hard edge,” Tifa said. “Something that you didn’t have growing up. But, I see it lessen every day I’m with you, and I’m liking it. It reminds me of what used to be.”

She then fidgeted anxiously.

“I remember…how much you wanted to tear Johnny apart after he almost spilled the secret on Avalanche,” she said quietly. “Your eyes…they weren’t so…scary.”

Cloud looked down in embarrassment.

“But, that’s not what I’m wanting to say,” Tifa said. “I think…for the most part, I’m still getting to know the Cloud you’ve become since our childhood days in Nibelheim. But, that’s not a bad thing.”

She then smiled.

“I’m learning more about the man you’ve become, and I like him a lot.”

Cloud blushed at this and fought back a smile that was forming underneath his tough exterior. Tifa had a way of getting to the root of his feelings without trying too hard. He felt safe with her, and a part of himself was really beginning to let down its walls to let her enter.

“You’re not defenseless,” Cloud said to Tifa, whose eyes widened. “You’re not the damsel in distress anymore…it seems like you don’t really need me to protect you anymore. But, I still…want to be there for you.”

Tifa smiled at this again and laughed. “I didn’t mean to put that on you back then…but I think we’re both learning that maybe it’s better if we learn to fight side by side instead."

They chuckled softly.

“I’m really glad to have you back, Cloud,” Tifa said with a faint of a whisper. “Really glad.”

* * *

The night was over and the two had made it back to the slums.

Cloud escorted Tifa back to her apartment next to his, and the two gazed into each other’s eyes with expectation.

He didn’t know what to do. It wasn’t like it was a sudden culmination of built up feelings, or that Tifa was waiting for a romantic, grand gesture of sorts that had him screaming from the rooftops of his intention to go out with her again.

Cloud realized that his type of affection for Tifa was quiet. It didn’t need a grand declaration or specific confirmation. All he knew was that the girl standing before him wasn’t a little girl anymore. She wasn’t a princess anymore. She was a warrior, and his equal.

Still though, he knew that Tifa deserved something more than just empty promises and words that have little meaning. He was a man of little words after all.

So, he gently embraced Tifa into a warm hug. It must’ve caught Tifa by surprise, because she didn’t wrap her arms around him until a little bit after.

“Thanks for a wonderful night, Cloud,” Tifa whispered. She then kissed him on the cheek before rushing into her unit and shutting the door quietly behind her.

Cloud touched the spot where her lips pressed against it, causing him to smile one of his rare smiles.

“Good night, Tifa.”


End file.
